04. upon thyself thy beauty's legacy

[keepscalm]

Characters: England and all of the cultured people. Open!
Setting: Floor 25.
Format: Starting action, but will match!
Summary: England is having a teatime picnic. It's long overdue. Threadjacking is okay and welcomed! Join an existing thread and make it a tea party or make a new thread.
Warnings: Probably language since it's England. Also possibly threadjacking, so just say in the subject if you don't want that!

[So there is no fancy garden table and chairs or quaint little sitting room, but the innocuous spring floor is almost as nice. He's laid out a length of cloth snatched from the workshop floor to act as a makeshift blanket, and has a teaset out, with a full pot of tea, multiple cups, and sugar. No milk or honey, due to the restrictions of the Tower's kitchen, but he can deal.

And he's actually smiling a little. Do you dare risk disrupting him in this almost fugue-like state?

Of course you do, he's just a silly grump with pretty plates and big eyebrows. Come join him for tea.]

Comments

[keepscalm]

[Well. At least she didn't call him "old man". Like some people do.] Indeed. [He pauses to do a bit of math.] One thousand eighty-four...or eighty-five -- I can't quite recall the time of year, I was still very young -- since my first formal unification in 927 AD. Though I have been in this world for longer than that still. [Realizing this may be confusing, England quickly goes to explain.] The personification often comes about before the nation officially does.

For example, I was not present when America appeared. He was already a child by the time I found him. [There's something a bit distant in his voice, that grows farther away as the statement goes on. He comes back to himself as rapidly as he got lost, however.] With that in mind, I couldn't tell you my actual age, in all honesty. I had other things to worry about besides counting down with the calendar. [Not to mention that some of those memories, with the muddling of records, have become foggy, as well.

Teal-deer aside, England clears his throat and briefly averts his eyes, almost pouting.] Any potential enjoyment of Marmite on my part is completely coincidental. [No it's not. But geez, did they have to bring his taste in food into this?]

[guiltapalooza]

[She listens to this attentively, interested in the history and enthused about it.] Man, anyone I've met before that was that old pretty much just wanted my guts for garters. More of the demon-y persuasion. This is nifty!

I'm glad you told me. [She gives him a wide smile, flattered that he'd trust her with it.] I'll refrain from the mocking about food, I promise, just still kinda getting used to the whole idea so the jokes slip out.

[keepscalm]

Ah, so you've encountered those nasty buggers too? Absolute menaces, some of them are. [spoilers Willow he also sees magical creatures. But apparently she does too, so.]

Admittedly I'm glad to be doing the telling. It's a little tiring masquerading as a human. [Not that he really does so intentionally, but it just seems like so much more work to explain the alternative.] Don't know how you lot manage it sometimes.

[...and then he grimaces.] As for the jokes, it's not as if I'm not used to them. [You can rib him, Willow. He'll eventually be comfortable enough to rib back!]

[guiltapalooza]

[Doesn't everyone see magical creatures? Why wouldn't he?] I've encountered lots of those nasty buggers. My town was built on top of a portal to hell. [She says this very matter-of-factly.]

I think we manage it because it isn't a masquerade, [she says with a slight grin.] But yeah, keeping stuff like that to yourself is tiresome. I'm pretty awful with secrets.

[She's probably going to tease him anyway, but maybe a little more gently until he gets used to it.] Yeah, but a thousand years of used to them probably makes them the stalest of stale.

[keepscalm]

I'd wager that'd make it a real estate agent's worst nightmare. [He'd get pretty tired of demons coming in uninvited if he were Willow.]

It's still not easy, even if it's what you're used to. [He glares contemplatively into his tea.] Or such is my understanding. Can't say for sure, of course, since I've never been human.

Though at least it's given me more time to refine my sense of humour. [He's asking to be made fun of, to be honest.]